"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink;
or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food,
and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do
not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them.
Are you not much more valuable than they?" - Matthew 6:25-26
In 1880, a Christian couple, George and Sarah Clarke, purchased the lease for
the Pacific Beer Garden. Promptly dropping the word Beer, the couple added the
word Mission, and launched a ministry to homeless alcoholics and downtrodden men
and women. Thus was born the Pacific Garden Mission of Chicago-the Old
Lighthouse-the second oldest rescue mission in the United States.
Colonel and Mrs. Clarke bore the cost of the mission themselves, but as expenses
grew and the ministry expanded, their funds ran low. Eventually the day came
when they could not pay the rent. Attempts to secure the needed funds failed,
and Colonel Clarke was told he had only 24 hours to make the payment. Otherwise,
he would lose his lease, and the Pacific Garden Mission would close.
Throughout the night, Colonel and Mrs. Clarke prayed, asking God to guide and to
provide in his own way and time. They reminded the Lord of the souls being saved
each night, of the men and women whose lives were being salvaged. They asked him
why they should find themselves in such straits while trying to do his work.
But, determining to trust and not question, they remained before the throne of
grace in simple faith and in earnest pleading until the breaking of dawn.
When they emerged from their Morgan Park house that morning, they gasped. What
had happened to their front yard? It was covered with something white, something
that instantly reminded them of the manna of the Old Testament. Looking closer,
they discovered their lawn was filled with mushrooms of the very best quality,
which was quite mysterious because it wasn't the season for mushrooms. Gathering
the crop, the Clarkes carted the mushrooms down the street and sold them to the
chefs at the Palmer House, the famed hotel just off of Michigan Avenue, for a
large price. The receipts were enough to pay the rent, with enough left over to
meet other ministry expenses. So, the Pacific Garden Mission carried on, its
work undeterred.
What are you worried about? The Lord is in control. Today in prayer, give your
cares and worries to the Lord and know that He is Lord of all.
"I [have] learned that worship and worry cannot live in the same heart: they are
mutually exclusive." - Ruth Bell Graham
God's Word: "Then Jesus said to his disciples: 'Therefore I tell you, do not
worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will
wear. Life is more than food, and the body more than clothes.'" - Luke 12:22-23
By Peter Kennedy, Copyright 2004, Devotional E-Mail DEVOTIONS IN MATTHEW
pkennedy6@yahoo.com
The Illustrator: This daily newsletter is dedicated to encouraging
everyone to look towards Jesus as the source of all the solutions to our
problems. It contains a daily inspirational story, a Bible verse and encouraging
messages. HTML and plain text versions available.
The Nugget: Published three times a week, this newsletter features inspirational devotionals and mini-sermons dedicated to drawing mankind closer to each other and to Christ.